Can a company force staff to attend Christmas Party?

Undervalued

scd3scd4 wrote: »

Crazy seems an exaggeration but I have heard similar.

Likewise.

Robatwork may well be correct about this thread but even so it raises some very relevant issues.

Every year we see some threads about problems relating to company Christmas parties. There are always people who find these events uncomfortable or worse plus, if held out of hours, there will be those who find it difficult or impossible to attend.

Real or imaginary both of those issues have cropped up in this thread and sadly they will crop up in reality for some people between now and December 25.

Mojisola

lloydy84 wrote: »

My problem is that I am court ordered to pick my children up for 6PM on this date as I am every week.

Due to one child's disability I MUST be the one collecting him at that time.

TBagpuss wrote: »

I've seen quite a few which specify who has to collect. Of course, with rational people on both sides the thing to do would be to arrange for a third party to collect and agree this with the other parent, but from what OP says it sounds as though that may not be possible.

The added factor here is the child's disability - if changing routine things causes problems for the child, that would complicate things.

System

Comms69 wrote: »

Why are people consistently giving the OP false hope.


The situation isn't complicated. This is no different to ANY OTHER PARENT.

If as suggested one child has a disability they its not the same as any other parent at all .

Comms69

CHRISSYG wrote: »

If as suggested one child has a disability they its not the same as any other parent at all .

Because there's only one disabled child in the country?

System

Comms69 wrote: »

Because there's only one disabled child in the country?

No neither is there only one idiot in the country !

Comms69

CHRISSYG wrote: »

No neither is there only one idiot in the country !

If you've got something to say; say it.


Quite clearly the OP needs to make arrangements, either for this event; or for the future.


The situation is clearly unsustainable.

lloydy84

Comms69 wrote: »

If you've got something to say; say it.

Quite clearly the OP needs to make arrangements, either for this event; or for the future.

The situation is clearly unsustainable.

@ Comms69, thanks for all your sound advice. I appreciate you're right to the point but frank. In regards to my child, he is severely autistic and changes in routine (as mojisola said) can trigger meltdowns. He has severe meltdowns when his school bus driver changes and it takes him weeks to get used to the new driver. His mother has to deal with all this and argued very strongly against my partner picking him up.

I argued strongly that wouldn't be the case with my partner who has known him six years and deals with autism regularly (she is a teacher and has mildly autistic children), but to no avail. Everything about the whole process taught me that those in authority err on the side of caution, understandable I guess. And my ex partner is the one that has to deal with this not me. I am not permitted to leave my child in the care of anyone else for more than a few minutes. Again I argued strongly against this, but to no avail. They asked if it was a joint order with my partner, I said no, that seemed to be the end of it.

BUT that is an entirely different story, and if I was here to speak about children, cafcass & courts I could be here all day :mad::mad:

I think some people really mis understand what I am asking here, attacking me for this and that and making a mountain out of a mole hill, really strange as all I did was post my circumstances and ask if my company has the right to do what they are doing.

@ TBagpuss. Again, thanks for the advice. You are obviously aware of this type of situation and unfortunately my ex is not reasonable (It is the reason I have the order) and it is very doubtful she will let me change the time. At the very minimum though I'd lose my weekend with the children.

I think this is part of the problem with some replies and people accusing this post of trolling. If I posted this in a Father's advice forum they would all fully understand, that at the slightest excuse an ex will try to block my access, it is not even rare. This has been a 6 year fight for me.

But this is MSE and people have literally no idea of the situation but feel the need to throw comments around anyway. I wont go into it further as that is not the point of my post but please if you do not understand my situation then please refrain from posting.

Again, thank you for the comments and advice, I will speak to management next week and hopefully try to come to some compromise.

Also: @ robatwork. You're wrong, refrain from posting on here please.

lloydy84

silvercar wrote: »

Can this really be the case? What would happen if you were ill / in hospital?

Surely the court gives you the right to collect your children at this time, rather than the obligation. It may even give you the responsibility to collect, in which case you could arrange a substitute.

Even if not for this particular issue, logic says at some point in time you will need a backup plan.

This is off topic and not the point of my post but thank you for replying anyway. In this situation I would not have my children, just to make that clear. I'd lose my time with them.

Comms69

lloydy84 wrote: »

@ Comms69, thanks for all your sound advice. I appreciate you're right to the point but frank. In regards to my child, he is severely autistic and changes in routine (as mojisola said) can trigger meltdowns. He has severe meltdowns when his school bus driver changes and it takes him weeks to get used to the new driver. His mother has to deal with all this and argued very strongly against my partner picking him up.

I argued strongly that wouldn't be the case with my partner who has known him six years and deals with autism regularly (she is a teacher and has mildly autistic children), but to no avail. Everything about the whole process taught me that those in authority err on the side of caution, understandable I guess. And my ex partner is the one that has to deal with this not me. I am not permitted to leave my child in the care of anyone else for more than a few minutes. Again I argued strongly against this, but to no avail. They asked if it was a joint order with my partner, I said no, that seemed to be the end of it.

BUT that is an entirely different story, and if I was here to speak about children, cafcass & courts I could be here all day :mad::mad:

I think some people really mis understand what I am asking here, attacking me for this and that and making a mountain out of a mole hill, really strange as all I did was post my circumstances and ask if my company has the right to do what they are doing.

@ TBagpuss. Again, thanks for the advice. You are obviously aware of this type of situation and unfortunately my ex is not reasonable (It is the reason I have the order) and it is very doubtful she will let me change the time. At the very minimum though I'd lose my weekend with the children.

I think this is part of the problem with some replies and people accusing this post of trolling. If I posted this in a Father's advice forum they would all fully understand, that at the slightest excuse an ex will try to block my access, it is not even rare. This has been a 6 year fight for me.

But this is MSE and people have literally no idea of the situation but feel the need to throw comments around anyway. I wont go into it further as that is not the point of my post but please if you do not understand my situation then please refrain from posting.

Again, thank you for the comments and advice, I will speak to management next week and hopefully try to come to some compromise.

Also: @ robatwork. You're wrong, refrain from posting on here please.

I know this is employment boards; but... how long ago was the order made?


You could look at making an updated order

Owain_Moneysaver

Undervalued wrote: »

Oh not that one again! You certainly don't get a dodgy sick note after debating the requirement to attend.

If you insist on going down the off sick route (and no I am not suggesting this!) then you act all enthusiastic and fall ill unexpectedly!

Vomiting over the boss on the bus on the way there shouldn't be open to dispute that you actually are ill :rotfl: